Vape shops have been showing up more and more throughout the area. Some of the ones throughout Bellefonte are Lions Deliver, Exhalation, Smoke ‘N Go Express, Smoke Valley, Smokers Square, Vape Haven, Smoker’s Express, Jamaica Junction, Vape Vibe, Texas Vape, Vapor Expressions, and Smoke World & Lounge by Lions Deliver. The list goes on and on. A lot of these shops also sell CBD and tobacco products, bongs, rigs, vape fluids. You name it, these places have got it. This is only encouraging people to go further than just vaping or smoking a cigarette. Now on top of the influence of peers, there is also support from these shops.
It’s not just adults that these places are encouraging to indulge in the variety of drugs, but also people under the legal age. There are lots of people under the age of 21 who find themselves wandering into these shops. When these people enter the shops, they tend to be surrounded by fun LED lights and the overwhelming smell smoke, and other fun, fruity, deceptive drug scents. On top of the seemingly fun, relaxed, enjoyable environment, some very interesting people can be met in these shops.
A new vape shop is going into the former downtown business, Plumbs. As imagined, this sparked outrage among some people. One of the former employees there, Sandra Martin, was heartbroken when she heard that one of her favorite places to work was being replaced with a vape shop.
“It is honestly so devastating to hear that somewhere so special to me is being replaced with that of all things. I worked on and off at Plumbs for years, so hearing that a vape shop is going in is disheartening,” Sandra said.
Something that underaged smokers don’t know about are the negative effects that vaping has on people. It is basic common knowledge that E-cigarettes contain levels of nicotine. For anyone that doesn’t know, nicotine is a heavily addictive drug. Something that is not as widely known is that people don’t have to vape every single day in order to become addicted. These aren’t the only negative side effects though.
According to kidshealth.org, the effects of vaping include addiction, anxiety, depression, sleep problems, lung damage, chronic bronchitis, and exposure to cancer. There has also been some evidence that vaping can be connected to sexual dysfunction in men.
In the Bellefonte Area School District, administration is taking vaping seriously. New vape detectors have been installed in the school bathrooms and are proving to be effective, as several students have been caught. Students caught face suspension, and are required to pay a $50 fee to attend a session explaining the dangers of their actions.
Overcoming an addiction is by no means an easy task. However, there are ways to succeed. According to smokefree.gov, creating a “quit plan” will improve rates of getting rid of addiction. Several steps that are important for this are getting a support system, committing to the quit, and focusing on the positive impacts that quitting will leave on relationships, body, and mental health overall.
